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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390529">Red-Blooded Carnivore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicago_ruth/pseuds/chicago_ruth'>chicago_ruth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Demon of the West [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Cannibalism, Fantasy, Gore, M/M, Monster on a Leash, Monsters in love, Mpreg, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:53:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicago_ruth/pseuds/chicago_ruth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Pregnancy brings with it a lot of strange cravings. Even a powerful sorcerer can't escape them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Demon of the West [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Writing Rainbow Make Up Round</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Red-Blooded Carnivore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldsandrubies/gifts">emeraldsandrubies</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is rated M for cannibalism.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kalyan was hungry.</p><p>He was always hungry, lately. The child growing inside him was stealing from him, stealing his magic, stealing his body, trying to reshape his insides and chew its way out. It kicked and kicked, letting Kalyan know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a powerful beast, inhuman and terrifying and beautiful.</p><p>Another kick came, and Kalyan bore the pain of it all while rolling his tongue around in his mouth, craving <em>something</em>.</p><p>He thought about calling one of the servants to bring him food, but breakfast hadn’t satisfied him at all and he wasn’t sure what he wanted. Not fruit, not lamb, not pork. He briefly considered calling for a cow to be slaughtered, but there were enough people in their encampment who would be overly horrified by a display like that, and Ravi was trying so hard to be <em>diplomatic</em>.</p><p>Maybe Kalyan was simply bored. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone out to the battlefield. Engorged as he was now, his belly distending unnaturally and his legs and ankles swollen, he didn’t make quite the imposing sight as he once had. Even his magic didn’t come quite as easily, with the child sucking it away from him almost as soon as he tried to call upon it.</p><p>“I cannot wait for you to be out of me,” Kalyan told the child. He rubbed his belly through the loose robe he wore, specially tailored for him to accommodate his new, unnatural form. The caress was met by another fierce kick.</p><p>“Yes, yes, I know you’re awake.” It would be so much easier if the child would simply sleep. Kalyan wondered if he could affect it with spells, but it would be far too risky to mix magics like that. And as much as he despised being pregnant, he would never do anything that could harm Ravi’s child.</p><p>One heir was enough, Kalyan decided. When he’d looked up the spell up the first time, it had seemed simple. He’d had to adapt it to suit himself instead of a woman, but once it was done, he and Ravi had spun tales of a grand dynasty, a son for every province they conquered.</p><p>Never mind any of that. Kalyan was going to starve bearing just one child; he would never be able to handle another five.</p><p>“Kalyan!” Ravi came into their shared tent then, smiling brightly. His skin shone with sweat and he smelled vaguely of arousal. Kalyan’s sense of smell hadn’t been so keen before all of this, and now he only lamented that he was in no real state to act on any of his desires.</p><p>Because even as large and in pain as he was now, he wanted Ravi. He would never stop wanting Ravi, and Kalyan knew that if Ravi ever died, he would slaughter half the world just to bring Ravi back.</p><p>“I have a gift for you,” Ravi said, holding up the tent flap.</p><p>Kalyan groaned and forced himself to sit up properly. He had to brace himself against the back of the sofa just to get upright, and his entire body protested while he lowered his feet to the floor. “If it’s not food, I don’t want it.”</p><p>“Huh. Really?” Ravi motioned for somebody on the other side, and then a moment later a man stumbled through the entrance. His arms were bound behind his back, and his mouth was gagged. His clothes were in such tatters that they didn’t cover him in any meaningful way.</p><p>The hunger that had simmered a moment ago roared to life again.</p><p>“Who is this?” Kalyan licked his lips, staring at the man. The man tried to back away, but Ravi grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the floor in front of Kalyan.</p><p>Ravi brought his boot down on the man’s neck. “This is Passang. He was discovered delivering messages to Vishal’s forces. A spy.”</p><p>Up close, Kalyan could see that the man was still young, no older than mid-twenties. His hair was shaved short, and his earlobes had been bifurcated in the manner common in the mountain villages. Kalyan might have had his own ears cut like that, if he’d been allowed to stay with his family long enough.</p><p>He hadn’t thought of his parents in a long, long time. Better to bury those memories the way he’d buried their bodies.</p><p>“A spy? That’s unfortunate. Does he know what we do with spies?” Kalyan asked Ravi, although he kept his eyes on Passang. He could almost see the pulse of Passang’s arteries, crying out to be cut open, to let the blood flow free. If not for the child, Kalyan might have already sent out a tendril of magic, just to test Passang’s endurance.</p><p>Ravi kicked Passang closer to Kalyan. “I have to admit, I couldn’t bear to watch what you did to the other one. It was such a mess, too. I think the servants used up a full tub of soap just to clean off all the blood.”</p><p>Sobs escaped the man’s gag, and he shook his head vehemently. When he looked up, his eyes were so wide with fear that Kalyan couldn’t help shiver in anticipation.</p><p>“Let him speak,” Kalyan demanded. “I want to hear what he has to say for himself.”</p><p>The request must have surprised Ravi, because he hesitated, and Kalyan almost said not to bother, that of course if Ravi had already heard there was no point in Kalyan hearing as well. But Ravi shrugged and gripped the man hard, forcing him upright once more, and removed the gag.</p><p>Now he was standing in front of Kalyan, and his rags had shifted so much that Kalyan could see his flaccid cock. It was dirty, small, and surrounded by a surprising amount of hair. Kalyan had the urge to reach out and pinch the skin until it bled, but that would give away his game too early.</p><p>“Sit here,” Kalyan said, patting the space next to him. “I’m in no condition to stand.”</p><p>Passang immediately shook his head.</p><p>So he was a coward on top of everything else.</p><p>Kalyan looked at Ravi and said sweetly, “Ravi, could you…?”</p><p>“Of course. Anything you desire,” Ravi pushed Passang onto the sofa, and Kalyan hooked his one arm across Passang’s shoulders to keep him in place.</p><p>Kalyan could feel how tense Passang was while he idly stroked Passang’s skin with his thumb. “So, Passang. You must tell me how this came to be. Is Ravi correct? Are you a spy?”</p><p>“N-no.” Passang’s voice trembled. “I… I’m…”</p><p>“Shh, shh. There is no judgment here. Did you know, I was originally from Thaing?” With his other hand, Kalyan started petting Passang’s split earlobe. “I left before I came of age, of course. I suppose it’s for the best, too; Ravi wouldn’t have liked me with my ear like this.”</p><p>Ravi snorted briefly while he pulled the chair from the nearby desk closer. The way he situated himself, it was clear he wanted the best view of whatever Kalyan was going to do.</p><p>All the possibilities drifted through Kalyan’s mind. He could simply kill Passang while holding him like this. Without the blood, without the mess. He could smother him with a pillow, or use magic to force his heart to still.</p><p>That would be too boring, and Kalyan was so, so hungry. He wanted the blood, at least, he wanted to let it fill all of his senses, to drown himself in that copper taste. Besides, he had to give Ravi a show.</p><p>“Please,” Passang stuttered. “Just let me go.” He leaned as far away from Kalyan as he could, although there was nowhere for him to go and his arms were still bound behind his back, depriving him of leverage.</p><p>“But Ravi doesn’t trust you anymore. You were—” Kalyan stopped and looked at Ravi. “What was he? A scout?”</p><p>“Yes. He was meant to keep an eye out for Vishal’s forces encroaching on our encampment, but he was discovered trading secrets with one of Vishal’s men instead.”</p><p>It should have been Kalyan who discovered that. His magic had protected them from liars and thieves for years, and now he could barely cast a single spell, thanks to the monster growing inside him.</p><p>“A scout! Yes, it’s difficult to forgive a scout who betrays us,” Kalyan nodded sagely. On a whim, he brought Passang closer so he could lick the man’s shoulder. Passang shuddered and tensed even further.</p><p>Passang’s skin was salty with sweat, and had the smell of a man who hadn’t bathed in a few days. Not quite rank yet, although getting close to it. Or maybe it was the strange hunger, and Kalyan’s heightened sense of smell, that made Passang smell enticing.</p><p>Kalyan bit down. A sudden, unexpected surge of magic sharpened his teeth, causing him to tear flesh. Passang screamed, but blood filled Kalyan’s mouth, and oh, oh, that tasted divine. He ignored the screams and bit harder, until the flesh broke off completely.</p><p>As he chewed, he sat back and sighed in contentment. This is what he’d been craving. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the taste of blood. His belly warmed, too, and he could feel the child’s contentment.</p><p>Ah. It wanted the meat. No wonder it had been so angry at him. He hadn’t been feeding it right.</p><p>In his distraction, Passang managed to escape his grasp and take a few floundering steps forward. Ravi was there immediately, grabbing Passang by the wounded shoulder and forcing him right back down.</p><p>“Wow. You took quite the chunk out of him,” Ravi commented.</p><p>Maybe when they’d first met, Kalyan would have worried that Ravi would be disgusted with him for his unnatural ways. But they’d been together for so long, and nothing, nothing, <em>nothing</em> Kalyan had ever done had chased away Ravi. So Kalyan licked his lips very pointedly while looking Ravi straight in the eyes.</p><p>“Please—please stop! I can tell you more! The… the secret route in the mountain pass! Or… or…” Passang cried, his face messy with tears and snot. It only added to Kalyan’s hunger, a wonderful seasoning to a delicious meal.</p><p>Yes. He needed to devour Passang. He could already imagine it, taking small bites out of him, slowly stripping him down to the bone. How long could a man stay alive like that, with his body being taken apart, piece by tiny, delicious piece, each little morsel filling Kalyan’s stomach, feeding his magic and the monstrous child inside him?</p><p>“Do you need him alive?” Kalyan asked, his mouth watering. “Because I’m so, so hungry. Our child is starving.”</p><p>“If I needed him alive, I wouldn’t have brought him here.” Ravi sat down on the sofa too, on Passang’s other side. A burst of jealousy rushed through Kalyan. Ravi should be sitting next to him, touching him! But Ravi’s eyes stayed on Kalyan, and that was enough to appease him.</p><p>“Please,” Passang begged again. “Please don’t…”</p><p>“That’s so inconsiderate.” Kalyan touched the wound he’d created, marveling at how different the flesh felt when it had been bitten instead of cleanly sliced. “Can’t you see I’m pregnant? Would you deny a pregnant person food?”</p><p>Ravi snorted in amusement. “Should I call a cook? I could have him tenderized and seasoned for you.”</p><p>Kalyan thought about it while he took another bite, this time from Passang’s collar. He must have hit the artery, because blood started gushing out in warm pulses. He drank as much as he could, but some of it slipped out of his mouth and dripped down Passang’s front.</p><p>When he let go, the blood had slowed to a trickle, but Kalyan realized he’d miscalculated. He should have focused on the fleshy bits without veins or arteries traveling through them. Passang was already starting to look pale.</p><p>“I suppose. I think he’s going to die soon anyway.” Kalyan’s fingers tingled with raw magic now, enough that he might have been able to heal Passang. But he wasn’t much of a healer to begin with, and he had better things to do with this magic than ease a traitor’s suffering. “Could you slice off some of his thigh? I think that part has to be very meaty.”</p><p>Ravi didn’t always play along with Kalyan’s more grotesque desires, and even this time his smile faltered. But he unsheathed the dagger on his belt and placed it against Passang’s thigh. “Here?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Passang screamed again, his voice sore and trailing off into almost nothing by the end of it. Kalyan thought it was a shame, but maybe the shock had finally taken hold and made the pain no longer register.</p><p>Ravi handed over the slice of flesh, and Kalyan eagerly bit off another chunk for himself. More warmth flowed through him, filling him with an energy he hadn’t felt in months.</p><p>“You taste quite good, Passang,” Kalyan commented. “You should try some.”</p><p>Passang shook his head, tears flowing freely. Small little sobs escaped his mouth too, interrupted by hiccups.</p><p>Kalyan took the remaining flesh and rubbed it against Passang’s lips, but in the end he craved it too much to waste it on torturing Passang. He swallowed it all instead, sighing deeply.</p><p>“Let’s take him out back and butcher him,” Kalyan said. “It’ll be a pain getting the blood out of the cushions as it is.”</p><p>“All right.” Ravi stood and pulled Passang with him. “Do you want to do it yourself?”</p><p>With his magic rushing through his body now, Kalyan would have no trouble at all skinning Passang and making him into easily cooked cuts of meat. “Of course.”</p><p>He even had enough magic to muffle Passang’s screams while they cut him apart.</p>
<hr/><p>The cooks were none the wiser as to what they’d prepared for Kalyan, and it was so filling that Kalyan thought he might not need to eat for days. He didn’t doubt that the demon would want more soon enough, but for now it was sated.</p><p>Ravi didn’t eat, but he hand fed Kalyan and later ran his hands over Kalyan’s distended belly. There was love in every touch, reaching inside Kalyan and caressing all of him, squeezing Kalyan’s heart.</p><p>“Did you ever find out why he was working for Vishal?” Kalyan asked, laying his own hand over Ravi’s.</p><p>Ravi kissed Kalyan’s fingers before answering. “He ranted about you. Some nonsense about you being a pishacha.” After a brief pause, he added, “Although I suppose you did eat human flesh now.”</p><p>Maybe Passang had heard of Kalyan’s hometown? Kalyan thought he’d burned anything that could trace back to him, but he’d been young then, and without Ravi to guide him.</p><p>“Not me,” he said. “Our child. Our child craves human flesh as much as any demon.”</p><p>“Then I suppose we’ll have to find a way to provide it with steady sustenance.” Ravi entwined their fingers and kissed along Kalyan’s jaw. “My beautiful Kalyan. You’re so perfect.”</p><p>Ravi was wrong, of course. Kalyan was not perfect, and could never compare to the perfection that was Ravi. If Kalyan was a demon, then Ravi was a god, shining bright and deserving of worship.</p><p>The child kicked again, and Kalyan could only smile. His earlier resentment was gone, his body languid and free of pain. Once again, Ravi had given Kalyan exactly what he needed.</p>
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